NASCAR chairman Brian France has always had the power to expand the Chase field in exceptional circumstances, and decided to invoke it in order to put Gordon in the field. NASCAR determined Gordon would have qualified for the Chase if not for the "unfair disadvantage" he had suffered due to Penske/Front Row's collusion.[5]

Like as when Nascar' s most favored son is inline for an expanded chase field?
Kind of reminds me of the Pink Floyd tune, MONEY MONEY MONEY!

Just not sure how Nascar manipulating the field is somehow better than the teams doing it. But then, the team owners aren't the dictators of the phoniest racing on earth.